Later on
by Squidjoy
Summary: Andromeda's choice is made. Now she has to deal with the consequences.


Andromeda, had just finished her charms N.E.W.T. and had decided to grant herself an hour to rest before resuming her Defense Against the Dark Arts studies.

She had found a particularly sunny spot on the farthest shore of the Black Lake. A perfect place for avoiding problems.

That hour had quickly turned into an hour and a half, then two hours and soon most of the afternoon had faded before Andromeda could find the strength to leave.

Her friends were all busy studying for tests. If anyone had noticed her acting a little distant, they were too busy to worry much.

It seemed as though all her classmates had some sense of what they wanted to do when they got out of Hogwarts.

Andromeda just felt so...lost. Her whole life she had felt that crushing weight of her family's expectations, and somehow she knew that wasn't going to happen anymore. Andromeda didn't _want_ to be like her family though. None of them were happy. They were all cold and angry... on a good day. No, that wasn't what she wanted. she wanted...something more.

As she reluctantly walked back towards the looming castle, Andromeda saw her younger sister strolling towards her, followed by two of her fifth year friends.

Momentarily panicking she lept ungracefully behind an old beech tree to avoid the young trio.

Luckily Narcissa nor either of her companions had noticed the peculiar actions of the older girl. As Andromeda watched them stroll by, it was obvious the two girls on either side of her sister were listening attentively to what Narcissa was saying.

"...don't know how the school allows for it, i'm going to have a word with the Headmaster about this. Professor Victor should _not_ be allowed to teach." Narcissa was insisting.

"Don't feel bad about not passing! Arithmancy is really hard!" the girl on her left piped up, but was immediately silenced by a glare.

"I don't feel bad about being the _victim_ of _poor_ teaching." Narcissa replied defensively.

Andromeda rolled her eyes. Her younger sister had a flair for the dramatic, but the blonde girl's two companions were hanging onto her every word. Narcissa had taken after their oldest sister in this way, admired and often feared by the general population, though maybe _less_ feared than the oldest Black sister.

She waited until their voices had drifted away before relaxing against the old tree.

She couldn't quite justify hiding from her sister. Living in the noble and most ancient house of Black (as she and her cousin Sirius often sarcastically referred to it), Andromeda had learned how to conceal herself in more ways than one.

She supposed she had avoided her sister out of habit.

Not that the thought was especially comforting either. It felt different than avoiding Narcissa because the younger girl was getting on her nerves (which, in Andromeda's defense, she usually was).

She couldn't help a profound feeling of guilt from entrapping her. A feeling that she had grown more accustomed to every passing day.

The brunett fixed her skirt self-consciously and continued on her path back to the castle with a final glance to make sure no one had seen her odd behavior.

Andromeda found herself wandering towards the quidditch pitch. One of the teams was holding practice. Tossing a quaffle back and forth in formation high above her. She could make out the yellow and black of their uniforms. She watched them for a few moments before pulling her cardigan tighter around her, feeling a sudden chill.

As she hurried back to the castle, she pretended not to hear someone calling her name.

Slipping through the crowded common room and into her dorm. She was relieved to find it was empty.

Andromeda crawled into her bed and closed the the drapes around her.

She should study. She should pick up one of her textbooks and review the best way to obliterate a horde of inferi.

Instead she pulled her blankets around her and tried to ignore the figures in the photographs pinned to her bed frame, glaring down at her.


End file.
